Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis for Social Sex Selection: Should Parental Autonomy be Limited?

The use of Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) to select the sex of unborn children for social reasons raises concerns on its implications on the child born following the technique. Other than concerns on physical health, critics have further highlighted the potential consequences of the practice on the psychological state of the child. In defending this claim, the notion of unconditional parental love has been advocated by the opponents of the technique to argue that parents should not be permitted to use PGD to select the sex of their child for social reasons. This paper thus aims to analyse the alleged adverse consequences of allowing parents to use PGD for social sex selection in order to determine whether such claims are sufficient to override parental autonomy. To achieve this aim, the alleged risks of PGD for social sex selection to the child s physical and psychological welfare are critically examined. It is argued that such concerns are baseless allegations that are not supported with sufficient evidence to deny parents the autonomy to select the sex of their child